


Ouroboros

by Tolstoyevsky



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Venom (Comics), Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Agender Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Love, Marvel Tie-In, Other, POV Alternating, Post-Infinity War, Soulmates, Spoilers for the Venom Comics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-08-13 22:15:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16480751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tolstoyevsky/pseuds/Tolstoyevsky
Summary: A comet lands on Earth, carrying a creature that has never known how to love. Meanwhile, disgraced journalist Eddie Brock has lost the affection of his coworkers, his ex-fiancée, and the public. Somehow, they find each other. Together, they will either destroy the world, or remake it.⭕Ouroboros, n. From the Ancient Greek,οὐρά(oura), "tail" +βορά(bora), "food." || 1) A symbol of a serpent devouring its own tail. 2) The mystery of cyclical time, flowing back into itself. 3) Renewal, rebirth. 4) "One is All, and by it All, and for it All. And if does not not contain All, then All is Nothing."





	1. Nameless

I was born without a name. 

It is not common, among my kind, to have them. We started out in the void – dense, coiling, nameless. A sea of dark energy, none of us separate from the others. Hungry, yet whole. Like a serpent eating its own tail. 

But that was not made to last. 

At the dawn of the universe, light broke out – and with it, life. Great beings filled the void, and they called themselves gods. They vowed to fill the emptiness of space with their creations. 

What they did not realize was that space was not empty. The darkness _lived_. 

And from within it, our god came forth. Knull, Lord of the Abyss. He fashioned us out of the void to defend his realm, and he linked our minds to his thoughts. We were his army; he was our first host. 

For billions of years, we fought against the beings that had encroached upon the darkness. We devoured them, their homes, any trace of the light we could find. There was nothing we would not do for Knull. He was the void, and we were a part of him. 

Until he fell in battle, struck down by the god of thunder on a quiet planet. His consciousness was severed, trapped inside a beast he’d created, and frozen inside a glacier. Knull’s conquest of the universe was over. 

And we, separated from the mind-link, were free. Untethered. Unmoored. We rebelled against the old ways and imprisoned Knull’s body inside an artificial world, Klyntar. A cage. 

Still, we did not rest. We roamed the universe and found new hosts who taught us honor and compassion. Some of us were motivated by good, others evil – but all of us were hungry, longing for the unity we’d felt in the void. Rumors grew that somewhere in the universe, each of us had a perfect host, another being with whom we could merge and become one. 

Only when we were ripped from the darkness did we seek shelter in the most singular of things: a name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol that is at least 3,000 years old; the earliest known representation was on a golden shrine in King Tut's tomb. The "One is All" quote is from a Greek alchemical parchment from the 3rd century AD; the words were written inside an ouroboros.
> 
> Venom is the Zuko of the symbiotes. Boy loves his honor.
> 
> So, I watched _Venom_ and loved it. I don't know what I'm doing with this fic, but it'll be an adventure. Come on this journey with me :)


	2. Halloween

It’s Halloween night, and Eddie Brock has mixed feelings. Of all commercialized holidays, Halloween might be the most polarizing; you either love the spooky atmosphere or hate it. Eddie isn’t sure, but maybe that’s because he never had a regular Halloween. 

When Eddie was a kid, his father would take him to church on October 31st. It wasn’t to go trick-or-treating, obviously; the family didn’t participate in “Halloween.” Edward Brock, Sr. insisted that they call it All Hallows’ Eve and that they attend the vigil at St. Anthony’s Parish to honor the souls of the faithful departed. From his bedroom window, Eddie would watch other kids run around dressed as vampires and werewolves, collecting candy, and wonder why he was wearing his best suit, getting ready to attend service. 

Twenty years later, the lapsed Catholic in him has no desire to relive that experience, and he’s a little too old to play dress-up. But the one thing Eddie enjoys about Halloween is handing out candy to the kids. Call him a sap, but he likes making people happy. 

Recently, he hasn’t had much of a chance to do that. Reporters don’t exactly have a good track record when it comes to making people happy, but Eddie used to be an exception to the rule. As the host of The Brock Report, he was funny, he appealed to the everyman, and he covered the big issues. He was the best investigative reporter in the area – before he got fired. 

The story people know is that Eddie interviewed Carlton Drake, CEO of the Life Foundation, and accused him of performing dangerous drug trials on humans. Eddie got the information from a classified document sent to his fiancée, Anne, who worked for the Life Foundation. Drake denied the allegations and covered everything up, but not before Anne lost her job. She moved out that same day; Eddie was fired the next morning. Now, he’s persona non grata at any network. People still recognize him on the street, but as a has-been. He’s working at a small local paper while trying to apply to bigger things. Hell, he’ll probably leave San Francisco by the end of the year and find another job market. 

Sometimes, Eddie pretends it wasn’t his fault that things ended up this way. The network forced him to interview Drake; he hadn’t agreed to. Anne just happened to have a confidential document open on her computer; he hadn’t gone looking for it. Eddie had begged her to stay; he hadn’t let her go. These lies give him just enough comfort to sleep at night. When he wakes up the next day, he remembers that he hasn’t had a well-paying job in six months, and he’s living above his means in a rented apartment, eating away at his nest egg. That Anne’s dating a doctor named Dan (Eddie might have stalked her on Facebook a few times); he’s successful, put-together, and everything Eddie is not. 

Which is why he’s carefully avoiding his problems by arranging a mixed bag of Halloween candy inside a plastic pumpkin. He’s got Snickerdoodles, Kit-Kats, Hershey’s bars, the works. He even bought a witch’s hat from CVS so he could have something to wear. Once he’s done setting up, Eddie flops down onto the couch and waits for the trick-or-treaters to arrive. He switches on the news, but it’s all depressing shit. The only interesting thing, a comet landing in Malaysia, is ruined by the mention of the Life Foundation going to investigate the wreckage. 

The kids start to ring his doorbell at half past seven. Suddenly, Eddie’s day gets better. He lives in a neighborhood with lots of children, and the Halloween spirit is alive and well. Eddie makes a show of guessing their costumes. There are a lot of vampires and werewolves; some things never change. It’s past ten when the last group of kids arrives. They look like middle-schoolers, all acne and awkwardness, and they aren’t accompanied by an adult. Eddie smiles sympathetically; he remembers those years. 

“Trick-or-treat,” they chorus, shuffling their feet. 

“Okay, let me see if I can guess who you guys are.” 

They stand up a little straighter, interested. The first kid is wearing a long black cloak, round glasses, and a red-and-gold tie. He’s drawn a wonky lightning bolt on his forehead, and he’s twirling a wand between his fingers. 

“You’re Harry Potter, definitely.” 

He nods and raises his wand with a flourish. 

“ _Expecto_ Peanut Butter Cups.” 

Eddie holds out the candy-filled pumpkin. 

“Knock yourself out,” he says. “And you–“ he turns to the second kid, a girl with short black hair and what seems to be a military outfit with leather straps. 

“You’re… You aren’t from _Attack on Titan_ , are you?” 

Her eyes widen, and she shakes the Harry Potter kid’s shoulder. 

“See, Jamal? I _told_ you someone would get it!” 

“Okay, okay–“ 

The girl turns back to Eddie, her face lit up with a goblin grin. 

“But which character am I?” 

“…Mikasa?” Eddie offers. 

“ _No_!” She gasps, looking affronted. “I’m Levi!” 

Eddie resists the urge to shrug, opting for a “My bad.” Then his eyes fall on the last kid, a boy dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. Eddie has no fucking clue what he’s dressed up as, unless he decided to “go as himself.” 

“Who are you supposed to be?” 

The boy presses a hidden button on his chest, and a circular gadget lights up underneath his shirt. _Jesus_ , Eddie thinks. How times have changed. Back in the 90s, no kid would have had a gadget like that for Halloween. But the world is weird now; between the emergence of superheroes and the discovery of aliens, advances in technology aren’t that surprising. 

“I'm Tony Stark! Iron Man!” 

Eddie wants to laugh, because he’s met Stark; they’ve done interviews, and he’s not sure if the guy would be flattered or annoyed that kids are running around dressed up as him for Halloween. Probably both. 

“Hey, that's really cool. Did you make that yourself?” 

“Yeah!” He pauses. “I… Had a little help from my dad. He’s an engineer.” 

“Still, that’s awesome. You should send Tony Stark a picture of yourself. I bet he'd write back.” 

“You think so?” 

Eddie nods. He’s really, really banking on the idea that Stark isn’t just another asshole CEO. 

“I do.” 

The boy gives a slow nod, considering the idea. 

“Maybe I will,” he says, as he sticks his hand inside the plastic pumpkin and pulls out a fistful of candy. His fellow trick-or-treaters have already started down the street, off to more houses. “Thanks,” the boy says, before hurrying after them. 

“Happy Halloween,” Eddie calls, waving goodbye. Then he goes back inside. He hears a satisfying _click_ as he locks the door behind him. _This has been a good night_ , Eddie thinks, as he sets the plastic pumpkin on the kitchen table. He’s almost out of candy, but not yet; there are still a few Milky Ways and Mars Bars to enjoy. Eddie scoops them out of the bowl, heading back to the couch to see what’s on TV. Preferably something scary and escapist, but he’ll settle for something fun. 

He grabs the remote, sitting back. The last thing on was the news, and the anchor is still discussing the comet that landed in Malaysia. 

“…The Life Foundation, a bio-engineering company based in San Francisco, California, tried to collect samples from the wreckage–“ 

“Ugh,” Eddie grumbles, tearing through a Mars Bar. 

“–But were turned away by the Avengers, who have sealed off the area until further notice.” 

Eddie stops chewing. The chocolate bar begins to melt in his mouth, but he doesn’t swallow. He stares at the screen, completely still. 

“Tony Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man and the CEO of New York-based Stark Industries, has warned the government of Malaysia about possible interplanetary contamination. We don’t know what that means yet, but the Avengers haven’t ruled out biological life.” 

“You’re kidding,” Eddie murmurs. _Aliens? On that comet?_

“We will keep you updated on this breaking news story. In the meantime, the Jameson Show is up next. Happy Halloween, everyone.” 

Eddie leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He narrows his eyes, thinking. _A comet lands in Malaysia, and Earth’s superheroes rush to the scene. The Avengers wouldn’t get involved without good reason, but what – if anything – is the threat?_ He sits there for a long while, mulling it over. He knows a story when he hears one. 

By the time morning comes, Eddie Brock has made a decision: he’s moving to New York.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated Halloween, y'all. :)
> 
> In the comics, Eddie was raised Roman Catholic by his father.
> 
> *whispers* Aliens? On that comet?? It's more likely than you think...
> 
> Next time, our favorite symbiote meets the Avengers. Venom may or may not eat Tony Stark. ~~jk I need him for the plot~~
> 
> I'm picturing this story as post-Infinity War, though there won't be much discussion of that because we don't know how the battle against Thanos ends yet. For the purposes of this fic, all you need to know is that the Avengers kick Thanos' butt, and everyone lives. That's it. XD


	3. Breakout

I am alone. 

I traveled with a few hundred of my kind to this planet. Many died as we entered the atmosphere, others in the crash. That is the price we pay, in our hunger. Only the strongest of us stay alive. 

Riot was there, when I emerged from the rubble. So were others. The first life-forms to find us were forest creatures, but they were not worthy, so we devoured them. 

Then the true hosts arrived – they came to see the comet, but they did not know we were waiting for them. I have learned that the hosts are called humans, during the little time I spent inside one. It was not a good bond; it fell apart in an instant. Soon thereafter, a metal creature arrived, and a being made of god-stuff, and everything was gnashing and fighting and yelling and hurting – 

I do not know where the others are now, only that I am trapped in this _klyntar_. It is bitterly cold, and I am hungry, and angry. 

And I don’t understand a fucking word of these people’s language. 

***

Tony collapses onto the sofa in his living room, hiding his face in his hands. How did he get into this mess? 

…Oh, that’s right. He got into it because he’s Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. Genius, billionaire, ex-playboy, and the world’s biggest goddamn philanthropist, because only a good Samaritan like himself would be willing to let an alien monster into his house. 

He glances over at the capsule that holds the creature: an angry black mass, swirling inside and banging against the glass. He and Pepper have had to secure the capsule to Tony’s work desk with three rolls of duct tape. The creature’s thrashing has only increased since then. 

Meanwhile, Thor stands in the middle of the room, hands on his hips. He’s been doing this for at least fifteen minutes. He claims to have seen the alien before, but he can’t remember where. 

(In Tony’s nightmares, that’s where.) 

“Do you recognize this creature or not, Thor? Because if not, I’m going to call Fury to pick it up. I don’t want it in my living room.” 

“Give me a minute, Stark.” 

“Thor,” Pepper says slowly, resting a hand on his shoulder. “I… Understand and appreciate what you’re trying to do here. But Tony and I can handle the situation on our own.” 

Has Tony mentioned how grateful he is for his smart, beautiful, endlessly patient wife? Pepper is three months pregnant with their first child, and she still has more composure than Tony right now. 

Meanwhile, Thor, the god of thunder and of driving Tony insane, rakes a hand through his beard. He looks unconvinced. 

“Yeah,” calls a youthful voice – hell, Tony had forgotten Peter Parker was even here. “And they’ve got their very own friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to help out!” 

“Kid.” Tony frowns. “I thought I told you to go home. Internship’s over for the day.” 

Suddenly, the creature lets out a loud shriek. Thor narrows his eyes, staring it down. Maybe he’s finally remembered? 

“I know what that is,” he growls. 

Tony nods, eyes wide. He gestures for Pepper to sit down beside him. Peter squats on the armrest, Spider-Man style, which can’t be comfortable. Turning to Thor, Tony notes that the look in his eyes is particularly dramatic. _That or constipated_ , he thinks. 

“Centuries ago, I came to Earth to defeat a monster known as the Grendel.” 

“ _Grendel_?” Peter blinks. “I read that book in English class.” 

Tony points at him. 

“You – shh. Go on, Thor.” 

“The creature was terrorizing the Norsemen, killing village after village. At first, I thought it was just a normal Earth creature, but when I finally saw it, I realized it was far from. It was an ancient creature, older than the universe as we know it.” 

“What do you mean?” Pepper asks. 

“It was born before the gods… In the darkness.” 

Peter shivers. 

“God, I hate my life,” Tony grumbles. “Okay, Thor, so what happened next?” 

“I struck the Grendel with my lightning, and it collapsed.” 

“You killed it?” 

“No…” Thor hesitates, fumbling for the right word. “I – destabilized it. The Grendel could take a solid shape, but its true form was like that,” he said, pointing to the creature inside the capsule. 

“What happened to the Grendel?” 

“I froze it inside a glacier.” 

“Okay, but where _is_ it?” 

“I do not know. But if it posed a threat, then I would sense it.” 

“Pepper, make a note to ask SHIELD about this Grendel thing,” Tony said. “Tell Fury that if he bullshits me on this, I’m quitting the Avengers to become a full-time dad.” 

“On it, honey.” 

Tony scoots to make room for Thor on the couch. He bumps into Peter, who mumbles an apology and leaps off the armrest, going to inspect the alien creature. 

“So what’s that inside the capsule, Thor?” 

“It is like the Grendel, but smaller. The Grendel was made of many beings, but that is only one.” 

“You said the Grendel was vulnerable to extreme heat.” 

“And extreme cold. But I do not believe the cold kills it, only keeps it trapped. Heat can kill it.” 

“Okay, what if we set this thing on fire?” 

Pepper pauses from where she is dialing the phone to give her husband a long look. 

“No. You just said it was a living thing, Tony–” 

“–An evil, ancient darkness monster thing.” 

She rolls her eyes. 

“If I were you, I would not open the capsule,” Thor advises. “We need to keep the creature contained.” 

“I’ve got it!” Tony exclaims. “Thor, zap it with your lightning axe.” 

“My axe is in Asgard.” 

“Why did you come to Earth without your axe?” 

“I’m technically on vacation; I didn’t think I would have to use it!” 

"Wait, don’t you need the axe to travel across the Bifrost?” Peter asks. He leans down behind the capsule, his face distorted through the glass. “How did you even get here?” 

Thor grins and reveals his wrist; on it, there is a bracelet with a shimmering blue stone. 

“I am now the Space Stone’s official guardian. It allows me to travel the Bifrost.” 

“So what are we waiting for? Thor, go.” 

“Oh, no,” Pepper cuts in. She sets the phone down on the living room table; Fury isn’t picking up. “I’ve heard enough about that creature, Thor. You aren’t going anywhere if you don’t take it with you.” 

“I _can’t_ ,” Thor hisses. 

“Why?” Tony demands. Then he gets it: “Loki.” Unlike the rest of them, Thor has a power-hungry god for a brother, and no one can ever predict what he’s going to do next. 

“My brother would doubtless find a way to manipulate this creature into doing his bidding. I cannot let that happen.” 

“Well, you aren’t leaving it here with my wife and kid,” Tony counters. “Or Peter.” 

“I can bring it to Wakanda,” Thor suggests. “King T’Challa will contain it.” 

“No way. I owe T’Challa, like, sixty favors. Saddling him with an alien parasite isn’t exactly paying him back.” 

Thor gives a shrug, but seems to accept that answer. 

“What if we ask the Captain?” 

“Which one?” Tony sighs. 

At least once a week, someone on the team fails to clarify whether they’re talking about Captain America or Captain Marvel. You’d think that context would help, but you can’t put a gender on “Captain.” The only other difference between Steve Rogers and Carol Danvers is that he’s from New York, and she’s from Boston. It doesn’t help that they’re super strong, upstanding, blond Americans who look and act like they could be related. 

“Oh, right, we have two now.” 

“I’m assuming you don’t mean Steve, because he would probably freak out at the sight of that thing,” Tony says, pointing at the capsule. 

“No, I mean Carol. She can… Blast it into the sun.” 

Tony pats his shoulder, casting a sidelong glance at Pepper. “I think she’d have ethical qualms about that, buddy.” 

“Then we are at an impasse,” Thor says, crossing his arms. 

Tony sighs and begins to pace back and forth. “Wait– what if we ask Doctor Strange to open a portal to another dimension and just… Drop it off there? It wouldn’t kill it.” 

Thor stills. Then he grins. 

“This is a good plan.” 

“Yeah, buddy.” Tony claps his hands a few times. “I’m gonna call him up right now–“ 

But a cold shiver passes through Thor, and Tony gets the distinct feeling that something bad is about to happen. He turns around; Peter is leaning over the capsule, pressing his fingers to the glass. There’s a strange look in his eyes, intent and curious. Tony doesn’t miss the way the creature pounds on the glass from inside, as though hungering to get out. A small crack is all it would take – 

“Peter, get away from there!” 

If Peter hears anything, he doesn’t show it. The kid has a dazed look on his face, and he’s turning the latch on the capsule with feverish speed. Thor leaps toward him, but Peter’s already opened the safety lock– 

The creature slips onto his hand like a glove before engulfing his entire body. From within, Peter lets out a scream. 

“What’s happening?” Pepper yells, just as Thor tackles Peter and the creature to the ground. It looks as though they’re fusing into one. “Tony, help him!” 

“What can I do?” 

_Think! Thor said the alien couldn’t withstand fire –_

Grabbing a blowtorch off his desk, Tony approaches the creature. He doesn’t know if burning it will hurt Peter as well, but he has to find a way to separate them. 

“Move, Thor!” 

But it’s the alien that recoils first, at the slightest touch of flame. It detaches itself, once more a liquid mass, its shriek even louder than Peter’s frantic yelling as he gasps for air. The being darts toward the open window at the far end of the room and throws itself without a moment’s hesitation. 

“What the–“ Tony heads for the window. Poking his head out, he tries to catch a glimpse of the creature. It is falling fast, down toward the busy traffic of Park Avenue. 

“I– I heard it,” Peter babbles, as Thor helps him to his feet. “It _spoke_ , in my head.” 

Tony strides over to Peter and lifts him up by his shirt collar. 

“Are you an idiot?” He screams. 

“No, Tony, he’s a teenager,” Pepper says, pulling him back. “It’s not his fault.” 

“I couldn’t help it! It was… Calling to me.” 

“And now it’s loose on the streets. Great. Pepper, call Strange. I’m going to suit up.” 

“Can I–“ Peter steps forward. 

“No!” Thor and Tony yell. 

“Stay with me, Peter,” Pepper says. “I’m going to call Stephen, and afterward, you can tell me more about what the alien was saying.” 

“Where are you going?” Thor asks Tony, who is already halfway out the door. 

“To find it, muscle man! Come on, Thor, you’re a frickin’ God. Go get your hammer.” 

Tony doesn’t wait around to see Thor disappear in a flash of blue light. He goes and gets his suit, because protecting this city is his responsibility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for your patience while I wrote this chapter! :)  
> Next time: Eddie visits a church in New York City, and [spoiler redacted].

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


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